About Balasore

The Greek geographer, Claudius Ptolemy (AD 90 – AD 168) described the name of many ancient cities along the coast of Odisha State.Among them was the port city of Kosamba .The ancient name of the historically important city Balasore was Kosamba.Some authors claim that the Persian people,when observed this city along the seashore,named this city “Baala-A-Sore”,hence the present name Balasore,a derived or distorted form of the original name Baala-A-Sore .

According to mythology,this city was the capital of the state reigned by a demon King Banasur .From the word Baneswar,the present name Baleswar or Balasore has been derived.This city was once the rendezvous place for commerce and trade through shipping.During this ancient era,geographically and economically,this city served as an important place for the whole Indian continent through its harbors and shipyards.

Currently,the export and import of coal,iron ore,other mineral ores,seafood (prawn and fish) etc.have been in operation through its small ports like Dhamara, Chandbali ,Chudamani ,Balaramgadi etc.Long ago, Balasore ports had been in use for trade through shipping by European ,Portuguese, Dutch ,British, and Danish communities .These communities were so prevalent that they had established in different parts of Balasore city .Their historical signatures are still available in Balasore city as the name of different sectors e.g. Dinamardinga (Dinamars the community from Denmark used to inhabit in this sector ),Olandaz Sahi (the place of Dutch community from Holland ),Farasidinga (the colony of French community),Firingi Patana or the Old Balasore (the place of Portuguese community).

According to the great Odiya poet, the late Vyasakavi Fakir Mohan Senapati ;the Dutch (Olandaz) community invaded and inhabited this city and in the long battle of colonialism and reign, the British community at last thrived and inhabited and reigned for a long era.In the heart of Balasore city in Barabati Colony is a very old graveyard (1600-1700 A.D.) which belongs to the Dutch community.All of these colonies/sectors in Balasore city are situated alongside the Budhabalanga River which is connected to the sea,the Bay of Bengal.

There are many sectors/units in Balasore city which ends with name ‘ganj’(e.g. Motiganj, Januganj , Bhaskarganj etc.)The word ganj means a storehouse or godown where all the valuable goods(after shipment from different countries from abroad) was used to store in the different store houses made by the British government.In 1869,Jhon Beams joined as the Magistrate cum first grade collector of Balasore.In his autobiography book,“Memoires of Bengal Civilian”he praised and described this place.

Although Balasore itself was so near the sea,there was a stable difference between the climate of the station,and that of the seashore for a long time.Europeans residents had been in the habit of going for a few weeks in the hot weather to live in two small bungalows on the sandhills on the coast,at a place called Chandipore.